West Jamaica Conference (WJC) of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary of re-location to St. James with a grand homecoming celebration at the Noel Frazer auditorium in Montego Bay. WJC is a member organization of the Jamaica Union (JAMU) Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, with oversight of activities in the parishes of Saint Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, and St James. The festivities included a beautiful staging of the majestic musical – Jamaica Unite – originally arranged and performed by Northern Caribbean University (NCU) family. The Pastor Derek and Yvonne Bignall, former union president and NCU vice president respectively, produced and directed production had members of the audience asking for more as they marvelled at the originality and culturally significant presentation for Jamaica and WJC at large.

The production was a celebration of the spirit and prowess of the Jamaican people, a rebuke of violence and other forms of destructive behaviour within the society, and a stirring call to unity and brotherhood in the building of the nation. It reflected on the natural beauty of the island and highlighted aspects of the Jamaican historical record, such as the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494 and the coming of the English in 1655 in the expedition that was led by Admiral Penn and General Venables.

Some members of the Jamaica Unite cast during performance 

Clinical Psychologist and International Evangelist Dr. Alanso Smith wonderfully breathless and in awe expressed, “it was a superb original, wonderful, awesome production that ought to find its way to New York City. This should not be confined to Jamaica as the quality of this production is world-class. It truly left a sweet taste inna mi mouth.”

Smith who is also the Family Ministries Director within the Greater New York Conference continued, “There is nothing wanting to this production. The performers and the organizers out did themselves in bringing history and theatre to life just proved to be an absolute remarkable. No one could truly tell me about this production for me to get this satisfaction. I just had to be here, I am truly satisfied.”  

Chiming in with high praises Nickcole Howden, manager of the National Housing Trust (NHT) Hanover office, shared, “this was an extraordinary musical. It was an excellent depiction of where we are coming from as a country and people. My wish is that all Jamaicans could get this sweet taste of Jamaica.”

The reviews kept flowing as Counsellor from the WJC, Etta Lawrence lilted, “This is just too much to express in one statement. It was just beyond words. Emotions cannot express what happened here tonight. The music, the cast, the production, the transitions, the entire flow has left me breathless.”

The National Heroes of Jamaica were brought to life through an original piece titled, Heroes Call. Members of the cast played our six national heroes and one heroine, along with past and current prime ministers proudly paraded through the Gymnatorium. The musical production protrayed the joys of living in Jamaica and brought to life the journey of our nation’s people, who defied the shackles of slavery to precipitate Jamaica's independence.